Safety match pack holder



Feb. 20, 1951 R. H. LOETHER SAFETY MATCH PACK HOLDER VFil'ed May 19, 1948 INVENTOR.

Patented Feb. 20, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SAFETY MATCH Pack iinD'n Raymond H. Loether, Pittsburgh. Pa. Application May 19, 1948, seriai c; 27.85!)

(o1.` acca-33) 3 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful irprovements in safety match holders, and it is among the objects thereof to provide a; safety match holder which is fool-proof against ignition of packs of matches from sparks resulting when matches are stricken on the scratch surface.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a safety match pack container which is of simple, durable and light weight construction, and pleasing in design, in Which safety match packs can be conveniently carried and safely used.

These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawing, in which like reference characters designate like parts, and in which Fig. l is a top plan View of a safety match pack holder embodying the principles of this in- Vention;

Fig. 2 a similar view with the cover open and the lower left-hand corner partially cut away and shown in cross section;

Fig. 3 a side elevational View of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 a front elevational view of a safety match pack with the cover removed enclosed in the case Fig. 5 a cross sectional View taken along the line 5 5, Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 a top plan view of the safety match pack holder with the cover raised;

Fig. 7 a cross sectional view taken along the line 1 1, Fig. 6,'

Fig. 8 a cross sectional view of the safety match pack holder with the cover closed;

Fig. 9 a cross section taken along the line 9 9, Fig. 2; and

Fig. 10 a cross section taken along the line Ill-I Il, Fig. 2.

In the drawing, the numeral I designates a substantially V-shaped housing of sheet metal, non-inflammable plastic or other light weight material, having a slide 2 mounted therein with a bent-over portion 3 for securing the bottom of a safety match pack 4 having paper match sticks 5 with the ignition heads 6. The housing or container I is provided with a cover l hinged at 8 and having a cam portion 9 which, when the cover 'l is closed, engages the end face of the match slide 2.

The container I is provided with a window I0 2 The slide 2 is normally biased to the raised posi-- tion' by means of a spring I2 which is shown in its extended position in Fig. 'l in its cone tracted position in Fig. S. The cover 'I is held in closed position by a latch which consists of a slide I3 operable in a strap M, as is more clearly shown in Fig. 9 of the drawing. In the use of the safety match pack holder the match pack l is inserted in the slide 2 as shown in Fig. 5, and the front cover or flap of the match pack is torn off at the top, for which purpose the upper end of the slide 2 is chamfered to form a sharp edge as shown at i5, Fig. '7. When thus assembled in the slide with the cover 'I in open position as 7 shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the spring i2 is fully extended to bias the slide to the upper position. In this position, as is clearly evident in Figs. 6 and 7, the scratching surface Il of the match pack is out of alignment with the window I of the case I'. When the cover l is closed, the cam surface 9 engages the upper end of slide 2 and moves it down by depressing spring I2, and when the cover is fully closed, as shown in Fig. 8, with the latch I3 in locking position, the scratching surface I I will be in register with the window Ii! of the casing I.

In use the cover is unlatched, then raised, which moves the slide 2 to the upper position; a match stick 5 is then removed, and the cover is closed and latched to bring the scratching surface Il in register with the window ill for the purpose of striking the match with full safety, as there is no possibility of sparking which would flash the ignition heads of all of the matches as is frequently the case in the use of conventional paper match packs.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim:

1. In a safety match pack holder, a housing complementary in shape to a safety match pack having a cover hinged at the upper end thereof, a slide for receiving a safety match pack mounted in said housing having a spring normally biasing the same against the upper end of the housing, said housing having a window for exposing the scratching surface of the safety match pack when in alignment therewith, and a cam on the cover for engaging the upper end of the slide to displace the slide and match pack to the lower position in the housing when the cover is closed, whereby the scratching surface of the match pack is brought in register With the window of the housing.

2t A safety match pack holder comprising a substantially V-shaped housing having one wall open to expose the match sticks of a safety match pack, said open wall having a Window therein for exposing the scratching surface of the safety match pack, and said housing having a cover hinged thereto, a container for securing the match pack slidably mounted in said housing, a spring normally biasing the same to the upper position in said housing, and a cam on the cover adapted to engage the sliding container, whereby to displace the same upon the closing of the cover to cover the safety match sticks and bring the scratching surface of the match pack in register with the housing Window.y

3. A safety match pack holder comprising a substantially V-shaped housing having one Wall open to expose the match sticks of a safety match pack, said open wall having a window therein for exposing the scratching surface of the safety match pack, said housing having a cover hinged thereto, a container for securing the match pack siidably mounted in said housing, a spring nora mally biasing the same to the upper position in said housing, and a cam on the cover adapted to engage the sliding container, whereby to displace the same upon the closing of the cover to cover the safety match sticks and bring the scratching surface of the match pack in register with the housing Window, said housing having means for latching the cover in its closed position.V

RAYMOND H. LOETHER. Y

, REFERENCES CITED rThe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,115,175 Crockett Oct. 27, 1914 1,726,843- KornsWeet Sept. 3, 1929 2,311,072 Musson Feb. 16, 1943 2,329,175 Gits e Sept. 14, 1943 

